Trakdot could make checking bags at the airport less stressful

Passengers arriving at O'Hare International Airport search for their luggage on Dec. 21, 2012, in Chicago, Ill. Trakdot, one of the many gadgets from this year's Consumer Electronics Show, helps alleviate travel stress by texting passengers when their bags have arrived.

Credit:

Scott Olson

Wirecutter's Brian Lam went to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and came back with a list of just eight gadgets that he might someday buy.

Trakdot’s a little thingy you put in your bags, tracking it with your smartphone if it gets lost, anywhere in the world. It goes to sleep when your luggage is in the air and then sends you a text when your bags and the plane they’re in have landed. This way you’ll know if your bag winds up in a different city than the one you’re in. It’ll cost $50 for the device itself, then another $13 a year to use it once it hits shelves in March.

Lam doesn't mention another cool feature. The Trackdot will ping your phone when your bag is 30 feet from you. That means you can do something else (read, watch a video, get a rental car, etc) while waiting for your luggage to arrive, instead of just staring at a conveyor belt for 10 minutes.

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